"However, on July 17, 2018, we received a letter from the previous club of the player with a warning about a compensation payout requirement. In accordance with the policy of the club, which does not include payment for transfers, the transition did not take place.

"There were no other reasons to refuse the services of the football player. We will make every effort to ensure that such situations will not occur in the future."

The shocking protests have been blasted by Alexander Zotov, who is head of the All-Russian Union of Footballers.

Zotov said: "There have been changes in attitude after the World Cup, but a group of idiots still remains.

"People with a limited world view exist in any country. We saw how open our society and people were during the World Cup."